Gov. Terry McAuliffe has vetoed a bill that would require voters to submit photo ID when requesting a physical absentee ballot, calling it an “unnecessary and impractical barrier” to absentee voting.
House Bill 1428, sponsored by Del. Hyland F. “Buddy” Fowler Jr., R-Hanover, would require any voter submitting an application for an absentee ballot by mail or by fax to submit with the application a copy of one of the forms of ID acceptable under current law.
The bill would exempt from the requirement military and overseas voters and people with disabilities.
“The requirement would not in any way deter fraudulent voting since it provides no means of verifying the identity of the individual depicted in the submitted photograph,” McAuliffe wrote in his veto message.
“The right to vote is a fundamental tenet of our democracy, and we should be doing all we can to facilitate eligible citizens’ access to the ballot. This bill would undoubtedly result in the disenfranchisement of qualified eligible Virginian voters and increase the potential for costly and time-consuming litigation.”
Fowler noted in a telephone interview that people who vote in person on election day or who vote absentee in person already are required to present a form of identification that includes a photo ID.
“My bill would just kind of close the circle,” Fowler said.
For people who vote in person, some of the types of photo IDs deemed acceptable under state law include a valid Virginia driver’s license or identification card; a valid Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles-issued veteran’s ID card; a valid U.S. passport; a photo ID card issued by the U.S. government, the state or a political subdivision; a tribal enrollment ID issued by one of the 11 tribes Virginia recognizes; a valid college or university photo ID from a Virginia school; or an employee ID card with a photo of the voter.
Fowler said he is pleased that a majority of his legislative colleagues “agreed with me that the bill had merit and would improve the integrity of the ballot.”
Fowler’s bill passed the House of Delegates on a vote of 61-35, on a largely party-line vote. It cleared the Senate on a party-line vote of 21-19.
Legislators will consider McAuliffe’s vetoes and proposed amendments to bills in the April 5 veto session.
Overriding a veto would require the votes of two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate. Lawmakers have never overridden a McAuliffe veto, largely because the Senate is closely divided — Republicans have a 21-19 edge in the chamber.
Fowler Jr.
